How to Model Drivetrain Heat Loss

Only about 14–26 % of the energy from the fuel you put in your tank is used to actually drive your car. What happens to the rest of that energy? Some of the energy is lost due to heat generation in the drivetrain. In this example, we will learn how to model drivetrain heat loss using the Modelica.Mechanics.Rotational library.

Heat Loss Modeling

The components used to model this drivetrain have optional heat ports. To model the dissipated power of the drivetrain, these heat ports need to be enabled and connected to the environment via a convection element.

The enabled heat ports are shown as red squares, and their link to the convection element as red connection lines. The components that have heat ports, and therefore contribute to drivetrain heat loss in this model, are the gears, clutches, dampers, springs, brakes, and bearing friction.

How Much Heat Is Generated?

To see how much heat is generated in the drivetrain model, simulate and plot the convection flow versus time.

The cumulative heat flow from all heat‐generating components in the drivetrain.